kitsunes-multiverse

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Pokemon AU anyone?

[kitsunes-multiverse]

I'm sorry in advance

happy days will never be granted got updated. It is time to cry

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Celebration of Life and Death

Prologue: The Fallen Angel in a Small Town

Definitely trying something new here)

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Celebration of Life and Death

(Don't mind this- this is just a silly little half-joke that I, as per usual, decided to treat seriously.)

While out and about in a small town, Milo Belladonna comes across a fallen angel named Kitsune. Definitely an interesting find in such a quaint place, but they certainly don't mind. Taking interest, they decide to befriend her and learn her story. Before long, they become friends and hit it off quite well... But could they possibly be more?

~Chapters~

Prologue

[kitsunes-multiverse]

So

As a dumb lil side project, I'm working on a story with Milo from Monster Camp, aaaand I was wondering if I should post it here. Would y'all wanna see that?

[kitsunes-multiverse]

I CHEATED THE SYSTEM- AIN'T NO TUMBLR BUG IS GONNA STOP ME FROM UPDATING

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 14: Mr. and Mrs. Thornhart

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Never Alone Again

Oooo, one of my favorites!

So, at some point prior to writing the final few chapters, I had an angsty concept: Chris reverting to his old self after he was revived. For angst it would've been good, but it's a romance story, so... No.

Also, originally back with the whole "Chris not wanting to go near the swing in the backyard." That was initially supposed to imply that the corpses of his family were buried there. Yet it never went anywhere. As a matter of fact, I kinda wish I had it be he was scared of a certain room. Oh well.

#stories #questions #aus #story facts

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Let's play a game.

Put the name of one of my AUs in the ask box, and I'll give you a random fun fact regarding that AU. :3

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 13: Night Terrors Return

It got rather late, so Jesse allowed Kitsune to stay with them that night. She was set up on the couch, passed out within minutes. And just her, the rest of the family was sound asleep... Well, except for Jesse, that is.

It wasn't clear at what point his nightmares started resurfacing. It was somewhere around midnight- after 12:00. Jesse writhed around in his sleep, grunting and panting. Every so often he'd gasp a little for air.

---

In the nightmare, Jesse was reliving one of his cases... Except there was one small difference. He was trapped. The case in question had him go under a village and into an abandoned railway project to stop the culprit that had caused 21 women to disappear... Or well, 22, actually.

Unfortunately for him, he had gotten in an area where a cave-in occurred. He passed out for some unknown amount of time after the ceiling collapsed on him. He wasn't dead... Not yet.

It was pitch black. He couldn't even see a few inches in front of him. He could, however, feel the horrendous pain in what was left of his legs. While his head didn't take much of the blow, his legs certainly did. They were crushed by the rubble, far beyond broken.

Even if he could pull his legs out from under the boulder that trapped him, he doubted he could escape. It was so dark, and the limbs were mangled beyond recognition. He panted, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. He was running out of oxygen. Was this it? Was he really going to die in here?!

He very quickly grew frantic, struggling to push himself up. He started to hyperventilate, only making his situation worse. He was shaking. He was absolutely terrified.

"S... SOMEONE!! PLEASE, HELP ME!!" He screamed in desperation. But of course, no one would come. He was god knows how far below the village. There's no way anyone would hear him. And even if they could, how could they possibly help? There was no way in Hell to get where he was.

Minutes felt like hours. The pain was agonizing- both from his obliterated legs and the lack of oxygen in his lungs. After what seemed like an eternity of pain and suffering, Jesse closed his eyes as his head hit the ground.

As he let out his final breath. (Hoo boy, I had more fun writing that than I'd like to admit- fuckin hell.)

---

Jesse awoke with a slight scream, bolting upright in bed. His hand clenched his shirt as it shook, along with the rest of his body. His eyes were wide from fear as he glanced around, his heart beating rapidly as he took in his surroundings. His face was damp with both tears and sweat.

Once he realized he was safe, he sighed- curling into a ball with his head in his hands. He tried to control his breathing, taking one shaky breath after another. As his arms squeezed around his legs, the memory of the nightmare forced itself back into his head. He shivered, quickly wiping away the tears that fell from his eyes.

He jolted a little when he suddenly heard footsteps. Before long, he heard a quiet yet rapid knocking on his bedroom door. "Jesse? Are you ok?" Kitsune's voice called from the other side, sounding worried.

Jesse sighed, resting his head on his knees. "I'm... I-I'm..." He shook his head. "Come in, Kitsune..." He responded.

He didn't look up as the door clicked open, faint light from the hallway shining in. Kitsune walked in, closing the door behind her. Even in the dark, he could easily make out the concerned expression on her face. "Are you alright? I heard a scream..." She asked again.

This time Jesse didn't reply; instead he just buried his face in his knees. He continued to shake. Kitsune hummed in concern, sitting down beside him and pulling him into a hug. "I've got you, you're safe... I'm right here..." She soothed, rubbing his back.

Jesse froze at first from the contact, but quickly melted into it. He held her tight, nestling into her hair. "I don't... want to die..." He finally said, a strangled sob escaping his throat.

"...Ah... So that's what it was..." Kitsune mumbled in understanding, running her hand through his hair. "Poor thing- that must've been a really bad nightmare, huh...?" She asked, Jesse only nodding in response.

"It's ok, Jess... Nothing's gonna happen to you- not when I'm here. I'm actually a lot tougher than I look. If something tries to hurt you, or the girls, then it's gonna have to get through me first." The young woman said, smiling a little as she kissed the frightened male's forehead.

"Do you want me to get you anything? Water? Tea? Say it, and it's yours." She offered.

Jesse hummed a bit before faceplanting into her shoulder, hugging her tighter. "...S... Stay here with me... Please?" He asked.

Kitsune chuckled, hugging him back. "Of course I will, Jess... I'll stay here with you until morning if it makes you feel better." She replied.

"Thank you..." Jesse mumbled, as Kitsune laid them both down. The young woman held Jesse close the entire time, humming soft songs until he fell back asleep. Once she was sure he was sound asleep, she smiled.

"Goodnight, Jess... See you in the morning..." She whispered, closing her eyes as she snuggled in beside him.

"I'll always be there for you... Never forget that, ok?"

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 12: Their Savior

A few nights later, Kitsune was sitting in the living room with Carrie and Alice. Jesse was out late at his job, so Kitsune offered to watch the girls while he was gone. At the moment, she was watching some cartoons with the young girls. Some good old Gravity Falls- a personal favorite of the three girls. Kitsune loved the nostalgia, Alice liked the spookiness (another thing of which Kitsune enjoyed), and Carrie liked it for just about every other reason.

"Man, could you imagine living in a town like Gravity Falls? Never a dull moment, I bet!" Kitsune commented.

Alice giggled a little. "Weirdly enough, Carrie and I lived in a place that was similar. They were these little villages in a forest. The only difference is- it was all fear and no fun." She explained.

"Wait, you guys came from the Forest? The one with all the crazy demonic activity and whatnot?" The redhead asked.

Carrie nodded. "It was so scary! Sometimes people would go missing, and they'd never be found again!" She added in.

Kitsune shuddered a little. "God, that sounds terrifying. I can't imagine how scary it felt to actually be in that situation." She remarked.

Alice shrugged. "I don't think I was really all that scared. Though I will say one thing- those husks, and the forest itself... I swear, it has a way of getting into your head... I've heard that it can turn a normal, perfectly sane person to a bloodthirsty killer." She said.

"Dad actually saved us from that place. First Alice, then me." Carrie chimed in.

The blonde teenager nodded, leaning against the couch. "My entire family was murdered, and there was a husk wandering around my house. Dad took me in before it could take me too." She explained.

"Dad saved me from a creepy guy in a pumpkin costume. He was kidnapping other kids, and made us go through this... horrible haunted house... T-The things in that house- it makes me sick just thinking about it..." Carrie explained, shivering from the memories of that accursed house.

"Goodness gracious- you poor things.." Kitsune muttered, pulling Carrie into her arms. The little girl buried into her, her face nestled between her neck and shoulder.

"Thankfully, we're not in that situation anymore. We don't say it often, but it's completely thanks to dad that we're able to live normal lives. And all because he decoded to put his life on the line." Alice said.

"Dad's really brave. He's like a hero!" Carrie chirped, her voice slightly muffled.

"He definitely sounds like one." Kitsune nodded, smiling a bit.

Not much later, Jesse had finally returned home. "I'm home! Sorry I took so long, traffic was a nightmare." He called.

Kitsune walked over, giving him a tight hug. "Welcome back, Jess." She greeted, smiling as Jesse hugged her back.

"Hello, Kitsune. How are the girls? They didn't give you any trouble, right?" Jesse asked, as they pulled back.

"Oh, no, not in the slightest! They're actually asleep right now- they fell asleep while we were watching TV." Kitsune explained, before kissing his cheek.

Jesse was slightly caught off guard by the gesture. He blinked a few times, his face tinted ever so slightly red. "Er, Kitsune, not that I mind, but what was that for?" He asked.

"For your bravery, of course. Alice and Carrie told me about how you saved them! And I just think that- what you did was absolutely amazing!" Kitsune explained.

The taller male smiled a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's nothing spectacular. It was my job, after all." He remarked.

"Job or not, you're braver than most. It's definitely commendable." Kitsune commented, hugging him again. "If I was ever in danger, I'd feel like I could always count on you to save me. Am I wrong?" She asked.

Jesse hugged her in return, chuckling a bit. "You're not wrong, no. I would definitely rescue you- no matter what it took." He responded. Even though he'd pray that Kitsune being put in harm's way would never happen..

It was nice to know that she'd be appreciative of his help- should the event ever occur... Which, hopefully, it wouldn't ever.

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 11: A New Mother

Later that evening, Kitsune returned to Jesse's house. Jesse had already informed Alice and Carrie about her arrival, so they had long since been aware. They were also told that the two adults had some very special news for them, which made the two girls both curious and excited. They also helped making sure everything was in order- with Alice helping with some of the dinner preparations and Carrie setting the table beforehand.

Before long, the door bell rang throughout the house- catching the family's attention. "Ah, that must be her." Jesse pointed out before turning to his younger daughter. "Carrie, could you get that please?" He asked.

The little girl gave a nod, an excited smile on her face. "Ok!" She chirped, skipping over to the door and opening it. "Hi Kitsune!" She beamed, looking up at the woman on the doorstep.

Kitsune gave a warm smile. "Hi Carrie. How are you?" She greeted.

"I'm good! Dad and Alice should be finishing up dinner soon. Come in! It's chilly out there." Carrie responded, backing up a bit to let the redhead inside.

"Thanks, kiddo." Kitsune stepped into the house, ruffling the little girl's hair which prompted her to giggle. "Hi Jess! Hey Alice!" She called in greeting.

"Hellooo!" Alice called in return, before glancing at Jesse. "I think I can handle things from here, dad. Besides, you need to relax more- otherwise you're gonna look more tired than ya do now." She joked.

Jesse huffed, rolling his eyes as he chuckled a bit. "Very funny, Alice." He sarcastically remarked. "But thank you- I appreciate it."

Walking into the living room, he quickly spotted Kitsune sitting on the ground at the coffee table with Carrie. Somehow, in the short amount of time between Kitsune entering and him walking into the living room, Carrie had managed to get some paper and pencils. They were both drawing together, though Carrie seemed to be quite invested in whatever it was Kitsune was working on. And so was she for that matter- as her amber eyes narrowed in concentration.

Jesse hummed in curiosity, strolling over to them. "And what's going on over here?" He asked, prompting Carrie to perk up.

"Kitsune and I are drawing Sailor Moon characters, but I got distracted because she's doing it really well! It almost looks just like the show!" She chirped.

At that point, Kitsune seemed to snap back into reality. She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Oh, I don't know about that. I've never been good at imitating art styles- especially anime." She responded.

"Let me see." Jesse crouched down, looking at the drawing Kitsune was working on. Granted, he never had much knowledge about Sailor Moon -the most he knew was that it was about five girls that have magic powers and they fight evil, and random tidbits Carrie told him- but he had seen the art style quite a bit since he'd pass by the TV whenever Carrie was watching it. So because of that, he could see the similarities. It wasn't an exact copy of the style, but it definitely had the traditional 90s anime aesthetic.

"That's quite impressive! I didn't know you could draw." He commented.

Kitsune giggled a bit. "Ah, thanks. And yeah- I never told you. Never knew how to bring it up in conversation, I guess." She shrugged.

"Dinner's done, everyone!" Alice called, walking in.

"Ah, wonderful. You all have a seat- I'll get the plates ready." Jesse stated.

With a nod, the three girls went to the table, sitting down together. Before long, there was a plate in front of each chair. Jesse sat down beside Kitsune, looking at his daughters. "Right, so... Before we begin eating, Kitsune and I have something important to tell you." He stated.

Alice and Carrie glanced at each other, fighting back smiles. Though Carrie couldn't resist bouncing in her seat a little. The two turned back to their father, anxiously awaiting for him to continue. With a nod, Jesse resumed speaking.

"So... Earlier today, I, embarrassingly, woke up with a hangover since I had a bit too much to drink last night. Kitsune helped me handle the majority of it, and well... I wound up admitting that... Well, let me phrase it this way- we're together now." Jesse explained.

The two girls' faces immediately lit up with excitement. "She's our mom now?!" Alice eagerly asked.

"Indeed she is." Jesse nodded, smiling.

Carrie let out an excited squeal, running over and hugging Kitsune. The redhead giggled, hugging back. "Easy there hun, don't trip." She joked.

She didn't ever anticipate to be a mother, but honestly? She didn't mind one bit- especially if it was them.

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 10: Looks Like You Just Said You Loved Me

"Ughhh, my head..."

Kitsune woke up, immediately hearing Jesse's groan of pain. She opened her eyes, looking down at her lap. At some point during the night, Jesse managed to fall asleep on her lap. Evidently, he had a bit of a hangover.

The young woman smiled, starting to speak softly as she ran a hand through his hair. "Morning, Jesse. Did you sleep well?" She asked, Jesse looking up at her. He hissed at the bright light peering into the room via the windows.

"Ughh... I slept well, but I didn't wake up well.." He muttered.

"Heh, that's fair. Stay here, I'll get you some water and close the blinds." Kitsune stated, gently moving him aside before standing up and walking over to the window.

Jesse sighed, covering his eyes with his arm in an attempt to shield them from the brightness. "Thank you, Kitsune. I appreciate it." He stated, before starting to try and recall last night's events.

...Unfortunately, it seemed as though nothing was coming to mind. All he could really remember was him having a few drinks. How many did he have, anyways? Oh god, hopefully he didn't do anything foolish.

"...Say, er, Kitsune?" He called, moving his arm away as he sat up. He turned his head into the kitchen, watching as the redhead got him some water and painkillers. "What exactly happened last night? I can't remember very much." He asked.

"Nothing too deviant, if that's what you're asking." Kitsune chuckled a bit. "But no, in all seriousness, you got a bit wasted so I took you home, you told me about your past, and you eventually fell asleep." She explained.

"Ah, alright-" Jesse quickly did a double take, his eyes slightly widened. "Wait a moment- I told you what?"

"Mmmhm. Yeah, you uh... You got pretty emotional." Kitsune admitted, walking back over. "But don't worry! I don't think of you any differently at all. If anything, it sounded like you really regretted it." She stated, sitting with him as she handed him a glass of water and a pill.

"I see... Well, even though I can't remember it, I appreciate your support. Thank you for sticking with me." Jesse smiled a bit, before downing the pill with a sip of water. "Honestly, I'm somewhat relieved. For a moment I was worried that I wound up telling you I was in love with you-." He cut himself off, covering his mouth as he looked away.

Kitsune blinked, looking over at him. "That's... an oddly specific example, Jesse. Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked, the grin in her voice prominent. She wasn't smiling just to tease him. She was genuinely happy and hopeful. If this implies what she think it did, then that must mean he reciprocates her feelings.

"Uh, n-no, no it's nothing!" Jesse stuttered.

"Jess, come on..." Kitsune placed a hand on his shoulder. "It sounded like you just said you loved me. Is this true..?" She asked.

With a deep breath, Jesse turned to look back at her with a reddened face. "It's... It's true... I really am in love with you." He confessed.

Kitsune smiled, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "I love you too, Jesse. Truth be told, I'd been trying to flirt with you for quite some time."

"Wait- you were? Did I really not pick up on that?" Jesse questioned.

"I meeeean..." Kitsune paused, waving her hand in a circle as she averted eye contact. "Last week, I said: 'I really like how polite you are, Jesse. Polite guys are my type, y'know?' And in response, you said, and I quote-" She cleared her throat, making her voice sound deeper in an attempt to sound more like Jesse. "'Politeness is always a good trait to have. I can see why they'd be that for you.'"

"...Ah, apologies. I didn't realize that's what you were trying to do." Jesse apologized, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.

"Heh, it's ok Jess. Don't worry about it." Kitsune replied, standing up. "Anyways, I'm gonna go home and wash up- and I gotta feed Boo as well. Catch you later?" She asked.

"Oh- yes, of course. As a matter of fact, why don't you come by tonight for dinner? Perhaps that way we can talk to the girls about... the new situation." Jesse offered.

Kitsune smiled. "Sounds good! It's a date. See you tonight, Jesse. Love ya." She kissed his head again as she ran her hand through his hair before heading for the front door, waving goodbye.

Once the door clicked, Jesse laid down on the couch again- a content smile on his face. Seven years after being put through unspeakable pain, and now he finally has a girlfriend. This was it. He finally had the family he was longing for all this time.

It may have taken a long while, but good god it was worth it.

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 9: Two Minutes More

"What's the matter?"

Kitsune asked, holding Jesse's hand as he sat on the couch. To say she was concerned was an understatement. She'd never seen Jesse cry before, so she was at a bit of a loss on what she should do.

Jesse didn't respond to her question. He just gripped more onto the woman's hands, his own hands shaking. His breathing was uneven, like he was having a panic attack. And although it was faint, Kitsune could see sweat dripping down his face- despite the fact that the room was well air-conditioned.

The young woman hummed in concern, frowning. She sat down beside him, rubbing his back. "I won't make you talk about it if you don't want to, but... Can you tell me what happened?" She asked softly.

Her friend sniffled a bit, leaning closely into her as he rested his head on her shoulder. "...I did something really, really bad..." He finally said.

As if Kitsune wasn't worried enough already, she certainly was now. What the hell did that mean? "What was it...?" She asked.

Jesse took a deep breath, trying to explain himself. "S... Seven years ago, I was apart of an experiment as a test subject. I-I don't know what the endgame of it was- I didn't stick around to find out... But... It hurt. Badly. So much so, that one day, I just completely snapped, and I..." He shook his head, hunching over with his face in his hands. "...I killed... so many people that day..."

Kitsune blinked, surprised by his confession. That was... a lot to process. But from the sounds of it, he had a reason for it. That's when the picture came to Kitsune's mind. The one where Jesse's eyes were a different color. "Does that... have anything to do with your eyes changing color?"

Had it not been for his own regret and intoxication, Jesse would've questioned how she knew as much. Instead, he nodded. "Y-Yes... I don't know what caused it, but I'm sure it ties into it..." He answered.

"I-I can still see the events in my dreams- everything. The blood, the corpses, the pain I felt... It's all there.." He shook his head again, latching onto Kitsune's side.

"Jesse..." The young woman mumbled, rubbing his back. "It's ok... I'm here..." She soothed, adjusting their position so she was hugging him properly.

"...You don't think any less of me? Even after I told you all that?" Her friend asked.

"No, of course not... It sounds to me you've been through hell- it'd be wrong of me to hold that against you." Kitsune responded. "Plus, you seem to really regret it now. I don't want to make you feel any worse." She added, running her hand through his hair.

Jesse was silent for a moment before burying into her shoulder, shaking. The redhead hummed, holding him close as he started to cry it out. "I've gotcha, it's ok..." She soothed.

Before too long, Jesse managed to calm down. "Feel better?" Kitsune asked, him nodding in return.

"Good, good... Do you want me to get you anything?" She asked.

Jesse was quiet for a moment before looking back at her, gripping her sleeve. "Can you... just stay here? With me?" He asked.

Kitsune blinked, a bit surprised. She quickly smiled though, chuckling. "Yeah, of course, Jess. I'll stay." She responded, giggling a bit as Jesse nestled into her.

"Thank you... You're the best..." He muttered, quickly falling asleep. He'd probably have a bit of a hangover tomorrow. Kitsune didn't mind too much. Besides, it wasn't like she could get up anyhow. She'd have to spend the night here.

But, in all honesty, she didn't mind in the slightest.

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 8: A Night Out

The following weekend, Kitsune and Jesse headed back to the bar they first met at. Kitsune had been practicing her aerial dancing all week, and Jesse had practically been working himself to the bone. They decided that they deserved some time to unwind, so they headed to the bar together.

They had already gotten their drinks. Kitsune's was a nonalcoholic martini, topped off with a little strawberry on the wide of her glass. To her surprise, Jesse had ordered some wine.

"Huh, never took you for an alcohol person, Jess." The young woman commented, looking over at him.

Jesse moved his hair out of his face, chuckling a bit. "I'm typically not. Though, tonight is an exception. I figured it'd help me unwind a bit more." He responded. "I've been under a lot of stress recently. It's honestly a wonder to me that I don't have any gray hairs yet- not that I mind." He remarked.

"How old are you, anyhow? You're a twenty something, right?" Kitsune asked.

"Twenty-eight, yes." Jesse nodded.

"Twenty-eight? Damn, five years older than me." Kitsune mused, giggling a bit.

"I take it you just don't like alcohol?" Her taller friend questioned.

"Ugh, no, not at all. A lot of it is way too bitter for my liking." The redhead shook her head, grimacing at the thought of the various alcohols she tried and disliked. "Not to mention, I'm a total lightweight anyways. Hangovers aren't fun either." She remarked.

"Heh, that's fair enough." Jesse remarked, taking a sip of his drink.

For a good while, the pair just sat there- talking, drinking, and just having fun. This was nice, getting to just hang out like this. Minutes turned into hours. Before either of them knew it, it was 9:00 p.m..

Kitsune checked the time on her phone. "Goodness gracious, it's later than I thought." She pointed out, looking up at Jesse. "Guess we should head home, huh Jesse?" She asked.

"Hmm? Ah, yes- yes we should." Jesse responded, seeming to be slightly out of it. His words were slightly slurred, and his face was a bit red. He was tipsy. Not super wasted, just somewhat drunk. He seemed to be acting like himself.

"...Yeah, no, I ain't letting you walk home by yourself. Not like this. Come on, I'll take you home." Kitsune stated, standing up. Jesse nodded, standing as well as Kitsune wrapped an arm around him.

The walk back to Jesse's house was relatively quiet, aside from a few drunken mumbles from Jesse. He was talking very quietly though, so Kitsune couldn't make heads or tails of what he was saying. Something about pills? She wasn't completely sure.

Before long, they made it back to the house. The bar wasn't far, so neither of them took their vehicles. "Alright, here we are. You wanna get the door, Jess?" The redhead asked her taller, slightly intoxicated friend.

Jesse nodded, reaching into his pocket and fumbling for his keys. It took him a few seconds before he securely held them in his hand, pulling them out and unlocking the door. They walked into the living room, Kitsune sitting Jesse down on the couch.

"There we go. Are you good here, or do you wanna head to your room?" She asked.

"Mmm..." Jesse hummed. "...Here is fine..." He replied. For some reason, his voice sounded more... sad.

Kitsune hummed in concern. "Do you want anything? Maybe some water?" She asked.

Jesse shook his head, looking down at his lap. His hair drooped down, obscuring his face. Before Kitsune could ask if he was alright, she quickly froze up. It was faint, but she could hear shaking breaths and slight hiccups coming from Jesse.

She immediately knelt beside him, placing a hand on his knee. "Jesse? Hey..." She whispered.

"What's the matter?"

(Tag list: @arc-carnes @drsweetmaple @tessathepeanut @sarahthebookdragon )

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 7: Love in the Air

A few days later, Jesse was down in the basement- cleaning his surgical tools. He never let Carrie or Alice down here- for numerous reasons. It wasn't super common, but every so often, he'd meet someone who was in need of emergency surgery or was pushed away by other hospitals and he was their last resort. Of course, due to the fact that this wasn't a common event, his skills were ever so slightly rusty from disuse. Still, he was a surgeon- and a pretty damned good one at that... Even though this little set up of his wasn't exactly legal, but hey, it got the job done well enough.

As he was cleaning one of his scalpels, he became lost in thought. He'd been having a hard time getting Kitsune out of his head as of late. At nights when he couldn't sleep, he'd randomly find himself thinking about her. He also noticed at some point that when she was around him, or even if she was mentioned in conversation with his daughters, his heart would beat ever so slightly quicker.

"What is wrong with me lately?" He mumbled to himself, distractedly. Due to him not paying attention, he hadn't realized how close his finger was to the blade of the small knife. Until he wound up cutting his fingertip, that is.

"Ow- darn it!" Jesse hissed in pain, dropping the scalpel in surprise as he cradled his hand. "Darn it all.." He muttered, going to a supply closet in the room to get a first-aid kit. "Why can't I think clearly? This isn't like me at all." He asked, even though no one was around to answer.

"There's no way that I... developed feelings for her, right?" He continued talking to himself, something he did out of habit. Not only that, but it helped him process things better.

He quickly cleaned the cut on his finger, putting a bandaid on it before heading upstairs. He just needed some air. Yeah, that was it. It was rather dusty in the basement. Maybe that's why he wasn't thinking right!

Carrie and Alice were at school, so it was just him. Heading to the backyard, Jesse took a seat on the porch. He sighed to himself, looking out at the yard. He had been neglecting to care for it, so some weeds were rather overgrown. He made a mental note to remedy the problem soon.

Towards the back of a yard were some orchids. Beautiful purple ones. He recalled in a previous conversation that they were Kitsune's favorite flower- and purple was her favorite color! "Hm, perhaps I should take some of those to Kitsune. I bet she'd like them." He said to himself, blinking in surprise.

"Wait- why did I just..." He trailed off. There it was again- Kitsune crossing his mind, his heart started racing, and his face was ever so slightly red.

Then and only then did he finally acknowledge -or rather, accept- the truth. He did indeed have feelings for Kitsune. With that epiphany in his mind, he sighed loudly- burying his face into his hands.

"Goodness gracious, this whole situation is incredibly cliché..." He muttered. "And embarrassing..."

He stood up, beginning to pace around. "I've written heavens knows how many romance novels, yet I couldn't even pick up the signs myself... And of course our meeting was at a bar." He sighed again. "Never did I think I'd become something similar to one of my own protagonists." He muttered. (Surprise, buddy.)

"So... What am I supposed to do now?" He asked himself. "There is always a chance she'd reciprocate my feelings, but... If she doesn't... Not to mention, considering what I've done, I don't think she'd like me very much with that... I should keep that a secret for now. At least until I can gauge how she'd react if I told her." He stated, nodding to himself.

"In the meantime, I suppose... I'll just have to see how our relationship develops from here. For now... I'll see what I can do about these feelings." And with that, he went inside. The truth was, he planned to just keep those facts locked away- both his past, and his feelings for Kitsune. Nobody had to know, right?

But of course, as history would seem to indicate in his past, his secrets were bound to be revealed- someway and somehow.

(Tag list: @arc-carnes @drsweetsonia @tessathepeanut @sarahthebookdragon )

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Got You in My Sights

Chapter 6: Meeting the Girls

The next day, Jesse was tidying up around the house. Kitsune was coming over soon, and he wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect. Alice rolled her eyes as she watched her father's perfectionist side show. "Everything is fine, dad. Everything's clean and where it should be, and all that." She stated.

Jesse turned to look at her. "It doesn't hurt to be sure, Alice." He responded, before returning to cleaning.

"God, you're hopeless..." Alice muttered, Carrie walking over to her side- a stuffed duck in her hands.

"So we finally get to meet your girlfriend today, dad?" She excitedly asked, hopping a little bit.

At that question, Jesse's face went a bit red as he sighed. "For the fifth time, Carrie, she's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend." He reminded her.

Alice smirked a bit. "She isn't your girlfriend- yet." The teenager mumbled, nudging her little sister with her elbow. The younger girl giggled, covering her mouth with her stuffed toy to stifle the noise.

Before long, a knock on the door was audible. "I'll get it!" Alice chirped, strolling to the door. Sure enough, Kitsune was on the other side.

Despite being a bit surprised, Kitsune smiled warmly. "Oh, hello there! I take it you're one of Jesse's daughters, right?" She asked.

"Yep! I'm Alice!"

Carrie zipped over, standing next to her older sister. "And I'm Carrie!" She chirped.

Kitsune chuckled a bit. "I'm Kitsune, Kit for short. It's nice to meet you two- Jesse's told me a lot about you." She responded.

Alice stepped aside, letting the woman in as Jesse approached. "Hello, Kitsune." He greeted. "How are you doing today?" He asked.

"I'm doing fine, Jesse, thank you. I hope the same can be said for you." The redhead responded.

Jesse smiled at that. "It can be, yes. Anyways, make yourself at home- I'll get some tea started." He said, turning to the kitchen and entering.

Before she could take another step, Carrie grabbed her hand and guided her to the couch. Alice followed after, sitting down with them. "So, how'd you meet dad, Miss Kitsune?" Carrie curiously asked, peering up at Kitsune with innocent eyes.

"Yeah! What was it that caught your attention?" Alice chimed in.

"Hm.. Well, let's see." Kitsune started off. "I was at the bar. Initially, I was going to go with a few friends, but they couldn't make it, so I just stuck around. Weirdly enough, I noticed Jesse just as I was planning on leaving. So, I sat with him and talked to him for a while." She explained.

"Heh, almost sounds like one of his books." Alice joked.

"His writing is really good. It's such a huge surprise to me that he wasn't ever able to have his books make it to shelves. Complete blunder, if you ask me." Kitsune commented, before noticing something on the wall.

She hummed, getting up and walking closer to it to get a better look. It was a picture of Jesse, but something about it looked... different. It seemed to be rather old, seeing as Jesse looked a bit younger. Early twenties, if she had to guess. Not only that, but his eyes seemed to be a different color. Instead of the beautiful, vibrant red they were today, they were a more auburn color.

'What the hell...' She thought. 'That's weird- I've heard of cases of eyes seeming red when you take pictures, but this feels like the complete opposite. How'd that happen?' She questioned, humming in confusion.

"Oh- you noticed that picture. Apparently, according to dad, it was taken eight years ago." Alice informed her, walking over. "It's weird though, isn't it? I can't think of anything that'd cause his eyes to change color." She added.

Carrie quickly chimed in. "We tried asking him about it, but he'd always change the subject. He doesn't like talking about it very much." She shrugged.

"Yeah. It's like- there's something that he doesn't wanna tell us. And the annoying part is- we still have no clue as to what it is." Alice stated, crossing her arms.

To say that Kitsune was curious about this ordeal was an understatement. She was completely intrigued. Though, if what the girls were saying was true, then she couldn't just ask Jesse about it upfront. Not at this point, anyway. She supposed her best option was to hope that he'd tell her on his own time. At least, for the time being that's what it was.

Whatever the case, she just wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery- without hurting Jesse in the process, of course.